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The Meditation Schtuff

If you go to such web page stores as The Dharma Shop or The Monastery Store, they will have a meditation supplies section. Now. I know you don't need all the "schtuff." Heck. For all I know, no schtuff is needed.

But.

In day to day practice, are there actual "meditation supplies" needed? :?:

I only have my chair, coffee table for Mr. B, candle, and incense. But do you need, for example, a meditation gong?

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

For me too, it is just a zafu and zabuton. Although I do have a bit of an altar on a coffee table with Buddha, a candle and some rocks or flowers. I have had bowls of water (a Tibetan thing) but it didn't do much for me or Buddha. I have used a pile of three rocks for a Buddha
Incense is fun but not necessary (and now it appears that the particulate matter in the smoke is not particularly healthful .

I know there was some discussion on treeleaf a while back about wearing robes. I'm not sure what the conclusion was, though.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

....But seriously folks...
I think the danger comes when you find the stuff necessary for you to sit zazen. It's fine to have, just don't let it become a convenient excuse not to practice. For example, " I can't sit until my zafu comes in the mail," or "I would sit but I'm out of my favorite incense and my Obi Wan Kenobi costume is at the cleaners." None of this stuff is necessary for zazen. Just roll up a blanket or get a couple pillows to sit on and your in the game.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

I know there was some discussion on treeleaf a while back about wearing robes. I'm not sure what the conclusion was, though.

Well, you should wear CLOTHES, although even that is optional. Did I ever mention the time I was invited to teach at the nudist Zendo in Florida?

Skyclad Zendo

Follow teachings of Toni Packer and Springwater Center. The Skyclad Zendo is a naturist Zen meditation group which follows a non-traditional approach of open inquiry through awareness, mindfulness and attention. We meet every Sunday morning for two hours of zazen au naturel, from 10 A.M. to noon in the yoga room at Paradise Lakes Resort, 2001 Brinson Rd., Lutz, FL 33558-8367. We also offer seven-day silent meditation retreats with various teachers.

Anyway, if you are sitting with other people, it is usually recommended that you wear dark (e.g., dark brown or black), patternless clothes, and loose fitting so as not to pinch the circulation.

As to folding up a blanket or using a couple of pillows: I do not know if the pillows would be firm enough. It should be something solid enough to lift your seated body about 5 inches off the ground (that varies by size of the person). Here is more information than you probably need. In Soto Zen, we traditionally go for the traditional round Zafu because ... well, because its traditional!

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

I use a zafu and zabuton, which are put away on a book shelf when not in use. I think the cloak product is kind of funny, because I meditate in the downstairs den where it's cold in the winters - so I just wrap a polar fleece blanket around myself to keep warm. No cloak required.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

I guess some folks gotta make a buck, but sometimes checking some of the "schtuff" sellers' web pages, it makes wonder who buys the stuff. Take for example this:

This is sold as a handcrafted incense cup sold for $22.00. The web page doesn't say why this is a "special" cup.

Yesterday, I went to one of those discount salvage stores. Folks that buy crates of unsold goods & re-sell 'em. I usually go there once a week and see if I can find some chachara to buy on the cheap. Yesterday, I found what looks to me like a small blue soup dish. Really pretty. And useful as an incense cup. Price? $1.00.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

I find a good zafu and zabuton indispensable. It's a relatively expensive investment ($80+ for two pillows?) but worth it; I've had mine for five years now and expect to have it for many more. I also prefer buckwheat to kapok filling, my legs hurt more when I sit on squishy kapok zafus. I have a harder time settling my mind when sitting in a chair, though I can do that in a pinch, when traveling (I've thought about buying a "travel zafu," but I have not yet been able to stomach the notion of dropping $30 on a glorified beach ball with a piece of cloth on it). Sometimes, in hotels, I've even used a phone book in lieu of a zafu.

Other than that, there's nothing I find absolutely essential. I personally do like to have an altar set up. It helps to inspire me. Mine has a statue of Kannon, an incense bowl, and a couple of sea shells (I associate the ocean with Mind and also Great Compassion, also other qualities, such as mystery and the maternal). I personally like using incense, it helps create an atmosphere that brings me into a certain frame of mind. Though I can certainly do with out it, and often have to do, especially having lived in housing that prohibited its use.

And I actually enjoy sitting zazen nude (in which case, yes, it's good to put a towel or other sort of cloth on your zafu to keep your "human schtuff" from rubbing off on your zafu...), or just in underwear like a yogi in a loincloth, when I'm on my own. Usually in lieu of clothes I wrap a blanket around me. There's something about it that calms me... no joke! And the only way I can sit in full lotus without my top leg sliding off is to do so in shorts or less, as the skin-to-skin friction keeps my foot from sliding down. I usually don't sit full lotus any more though, so it's not really an issue.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

I find a good zafu and zabuton indispensable. It's a relatively expensive investment ($80+ for two pillows?) but worth it; I've had mine for five years now and expect to have it for many more.

One of our members in the meditation group gave me for free the zafu and zabuton with the condition that if I ever moved to a seiza bench, I would give it to someone who need it. The gift that keeps on giving. :mrgreen:

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

The times I can sit at home (which are few) I use a seiza bench that I've had for decades. I had two at one point, but one warped beyond usefullness. I still have the bell I used a long time ago, but it's packed away, and with the bell on the timer here at treeleaf, I don't need it get it out just yet. At work, I use a chair. Or, and this is peculiar--I have a desktop podium that I bought for work so that I could try doing part of my day standing just to burn more calories in a sedentary job. Now, I can adapt the podium on the floor as a sort-of seiza bench. For some reason, I cannot, despite all trying, sit cross legged. My knees are several inches over the floor and my hips hurt a lot. I want to get to where this works for me, but that may be a long time hence. Ann

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

Chessie

At retreats I've often seen people sitting cross-legged, with one or more little cushions beneath their knees, for support. It's more "schtuff," I know, but the plus side of using it might be a kindness to your hips as they gradually adapt.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

Anyhoo.. this gives me the opportunity to post something I've been mulling around in my brain pan for a bit:::Xander's Dharma on a Dime (tm)If you cannot find the budget to get an OFFICIAL Zafu, and blankets just aren't sturdy enough, I've found a cheap and easy solution.
I purchased some "fun Noodles" from Wal-mart. High density foam tubes for swimming.
Using a sharp knife, I cut the noodle into pieces just slightly wider than my posterior and duct taped them together. I used four pieces 2x2. Makes a cheap little seiza bench! Cost here in KC = about $10
If you want it to be prettier, then buy a nice pillow case! :twisted:

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

If you cannot find the budget to get an OFFICIAL Zafu, and blankets just aren't sturdy enough, I've found a cheap and easy solution.
I purchased some "fun Noodles" from Wal-mart. High density foam tubes for swimming.
Using a sharp knife, I cut the noodle into pieces just slightly wider than my posterior and duct taped them together. I used four pieces 2x2. Makes a cheap little seiza bench! Cost here in KC = about $10
If you want it to be prettier, then buy a nice pillow case!

Or instead of a pillow case, create a diversion so nobody will see your funky cushion: sit au naturel !!! (I ain't doing no postrations around naked sentient beings)

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

Oh wow, so cool, you can even wear it to meditate in the bath :lol:

If you really want to treat yourself to something very special, try this:
Fill up the bath tub with warm water and plenty of shampoo or bubble bath. Put on your meditation robe, usually unlined nylon rainwear or poncho, nothing else. You can wear two layers of rainwear if you like.

Get into the bath and make sure you duck under so that it all gets completely wet. Now sit up or stand up in the bath and pour in a good amount of shampoo or bubble bath into the collar of your rainwear. Rub it around well all over until it gets all foamy inside. If you wear rainpants, foam them up as well.

Then rub foam all over the outside of your clothes. If possible, get a friend to join in and help you with this.

The result is an extremely pleasant feeling of soft foam and wet nylon all over your body. It can be very relaxing after a while. May Peace and Love and Water always be with you.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

so I can't really be bothered with Schtuff, but sitting nude is out of the question too. (Yes, I'm bound by Culture, not yet seen the Light.)

I sit on an old hard sofa. I was in a car accident years ago, and both my knee and my back are useless.

I do have an altar with, well, stuff like a tiny Buddha statue, some flowers, a clay stupa that I made years ago, a mala... and some of my friends have taken photos in Tibet, Sri Lanka and India, and of yes I do have a singing bowl, and a vajra that I bought at an exhibition about ten years ago. Not that any of the stuff matters.

Should I give everything away and start collecting the appropriate Zen Schtuff instead? :roll: No, I already know that
things, although nice, are totally void of meaning.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

Originally Posted by FeMonky

Originally Posted by Jundo

Anyhoo.. this gives me the opportunity to post something I've been mulling around in my brain pan for a bit:::Xander's Dharma on a Dime (tm)If you cannot find the budget to get an OFFICIAL Zafu, and blankets just aren't sturdy enough, I've found a cheap and easy solution.
I purchased some "fun Noodles" from Wal-mart. High density foam tubes for swimming.
Using a sharp knife, I cut the noodle into pieces just slightly wider than my posterior and duct taped them together. I used four pieces 2x2. Makes a cheap little seiza bench! Cost here in KC = about $10
If you want it to be prettier, then buy a nice pillow case! :twisted:

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

hey will. thanks for the many suggestions
for now i have the 2 cushions which are meant for sitting but they are not a zafu. but they are fine.
about making my own i will think about it... ( i dont know how to saw )as for feeling a zafu with buckwheat, i herd its not buckwheat but actually buckwheat hulls... and i cant find any in israel. the woman i order my zabuton from ( she makes them on special order ) said she couldnt find buckwheat hulls in israel so this is why she isnt making zafus from it.

but i think i found some place that sells buckwheat hulls and will call them as soon as the weekend is over

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

Today I sat! That is, as opposed to knelt! I still feel too new to talk much, but I'm listening as hard as I can! Following Xander's suggestion, I bought two 'noodles' at the grocery store, and cut each in 3, and taped together into a cushion 2 high and 3 deep. Then, laid a rubber yoga mat over the new cushion. I've also been practising stretching in the evening (thanks, Bill). so, finally, I sat in a sort-of cross-legged position this morning! And, next to my desk (at work) I can have my back to a filing cabinet, and guess what--I'm facing a white wall--perfect! I probably shouldn't get 'attached' to even this small success, but I still feel very celebratory! Ann

I am doing this even though 'birth and death' are a state of mind, cause I am a former asthmatic with lousy lungs. No need to expose others to "Second Hand Buddhism" either! :wink:

Abstract

In Asian countries where the Buddhism and Taoism are mainstream religions, incense burning is a daily practice. A typical composition of stick incense consists of 21% (by weight) of herbal and wood powder, 35% of fragrance material, 11% of adhesive powder, and 33% of bamboo stick. Incense smoke (fumes) contains particulate matter (PM), gas products and many organic compounds. On average, incense burning produces particulates greater than 45 mg/g burned as compared to 10 mg/g burned for cigarettes. The gas products from burning incense include CO, CO2, NO2, SO2, and others. Incense burning also produces volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes, as well as aldehydes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The air pollution in and around various temples has been documented to have harmful effects on health. When incense smoke pollutants are inhaled, they cause respiratory system dysfunction. Incense smoke is a risk factor for elevated cord blood IgE levels and has been indicated to cause allergic contact dermatitis. Incense smoke also has been associated with neoplasm and extracts of particulate matter from incense smoke are found to be mutagenic in the Ames Salmonella test with TA98 and activation. In order to prevent airway disease and other health problem, it is advisable that people should reduce the exposure time when they worship at the temple with heavy incense smokes, and ventilate their house when they burn incense at home.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

Originally Posted by Zen

ordered myself a zabuton today next thing is to find a buckwheat zafu ( can only find thick cotton )

All zafu's ive seen have a hole beneath them so that you can replace the cotton after a few sittings. so you can replace the cotton with buckwheat...
slapsko has another take on this subject, but i dont recall what he's got in his zafu...
you'll have to ask him...

I am doing this even though 'birth and death' are a state of mind, cause I am a former asthmatic with lousy lungs. No need to expose others to "Second Hand Buddhism" either! :wink:

Abstract

In Asian countries where the Buddhism and Taoism are mainstream religions, incense burning is a daily practice. A typical composition of stick incense consists of 21% (by weight) of herbal and wood powder, 35% of fragrance material, 11% of adhesive powder, and 33% of bamboo stick. Incense smoke (fumes) contains particulate matter (PM), gas products and many organic compounds. On average, incense burning produces particulates greater than 45 mg/g burned as compared to 10 mg/g burned for cigarettes. The gas products from burning incense include CO, CO2, NO2, SO2, and others. Incense burning also produces volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes, as well as aldehydes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The air pollution in and around various temples has been documented to have harmful effects on health. When incense smoke pollutants are inhaled, they cause respiratory system dysfunction. Incense smoke is a risk factor for elevated cord blood IgE levels and has been indicated to cause allergic contact dermatitis. Incense smoke also has been associated with neoplasm and extracts of particulate matter from incense smoke are found to be mutagenic in the Ames Salmonella test with TA98 and activation. In order to prevent airway disease and other health problem, it is advisable that people should reduce the exposure time when they worship at the temple with heavy incense smokes, and ventilate their house when they burn incense at home.

Re: The Meditation Schtuff

"Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses."

Personally, I sometimes burn a stick of incense for about one minute, just enough to get the smell spread through my room. I think that is not dangerous, and the smell is quite nice - relaxing, probably not, but it has context.